Should Respect decide to field Yvonne Ridley as their candidate for the forthcoming by-election the once impregnable 10,000 Labour majority may well be at risk for the first time in many generations.
I raised the issue of Respect taking soundings of its chances in Rotherham weeks ago, well before the downfall of MacShane, the reception from disenfranchised voters was encouraging.
The feedback I had from individuals who stopped to listen was that their message was taken onboard by all sections of the community.
Yvonne Ridley is a formidable individual with the fire in her belly to stir up the voters, for far too long Labour has taken its Northern power base for granted, the Town’s MP has been a disgrace, Labour Councillors have made RMBC a laughing stock, she will be pushing against an open door when it comes to encouraging voters to move away from Labour.
Who knows, a new Respect MP followed in the local elections of Respect Councillors in Rotherham East, West and Boston Castle?
It would be ironic that one of the key officials in the Rotherham child abuse scandal manages to get elected to a £80,000 a year post and the official Labour by-election candidate fails to win the seat because of a range of factors including the child abuse scandal.
Rotherham Labour Party has a lot to thank Shaun Wright for!
Peter Baker
Rotherham Politics 
The danger I see in this election is that if too many candidates are fielded the vote could be split too wide and let any Labour candidate in by the back door. That would be truly terrible.
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Absolutly agree
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George Galloway confirmed that that they’ll be fielding a candindate for Rotherham
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I think that’s the last thing Rotherham needs……George Galloway/Respect are a sideshow on a different mission. I don’t think they have the well being of Rotherham and its people at the top of their list.
Worst fears look to be confirmed, a split, diluted opposition to a Labour candidate – will that just be a helping hand to Labour?
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Labour won’t be taking us for granted then?
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LOL isn’t that what they have done for years 🙂 I can’t see that changing even with the current feeling towards them.
As i’ve said there are those that will vote Labour no matter what, probably don’t show that much interest in local issues and just tick the Labour box – no matter who it is or whether they are a local candidate or someone foisted on Rotherham by the Labour hierarchy.
History shows that!
I hope i’m proved well and truly wrong!
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So do I, but if Mahroof is the Labour candidate that will likely split the Labour vote too! They will boost the Respect vote and then who knows?…….
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The problem with Mahroof Hussain MBE is that Rotherham Constituency voters already know that he is a tosser! Greedy as well, by all accounts, we have only just got rid of one of those.
Not the best starting point if you need votes, in a risky and getting riskier by the hour, byelection for Labour, I would have thought?
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Respect campaign will without question focus on Macshane and his pro-israel and pro-zionist views linked in with his criminal expenses scandal. Also the war i Iraq and the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and support for the Palestinian plight will feature heavily. Therefore they will be relying on the block Muslim vote. Now Rotherham is very different to Bradford west with the Muslim electorate a mere 4500. That alone would not be enough for Respect. However what Galloway also does not seem to no is that if Mahroof is selected for Labour, he too has exactly the same views on foreign policy as Respect. Also Mahroof is extremely popular amongst the Muslim vote who will be unlikely to abandon Labour if he is the candidate. So Rotherham is quite a bit different to Bradford west so I dont think Respect are likely to win the Muslim vote here. What i think is more likely that Respect will split the Labour vote, more so if Mahroof is not the candidate which could mean that UKIP have a very good chance of sneaking in through the back door or even dare i say the BNP. I would imagine UKIP would be better placed to capitalise on any split vote on the left, as they polled extremely well in the local elections, and much better than the Tories in some seats such as Boston Castle.
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“Respect campaign will without question focus on Macshane and his pro-israel and pro-zionist views linked in with his criminal expenses scandal.”
Not much point in their focussing on someone who isn’t standing, Sorry!
There will be far more relevant targets when the time comes.
I find it hard to believe that McShame was picking up much of a vote from our Muslim community, given his adopted avowed pro-zionist stance.
Until we have a candidate list everything is conjecture.
But it’s going to quite a challenge to Labour to field a candidate as credible as Yvonne Ridley, if she were to stand.
Fascinating; but the result really does matter.
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What on earth is a “block Muslim vote”?
Is there a –
1. block Anglican vote?
2. block LGBT vote?
3. block wimmin vote?
4. block menn vote?
5. block Corn Fed Grunters, Muppets and Clowns vote?
6. block Roman Catholic vote?
7. block MSM vote?
8. block Champayne Sewshalist Commissars vote?
It all sounds like a “load of blocks” to me … 🙂
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For people who allegedly campaign for fairness and equality, those who use such stupid and thoughtless phrases really do know how to split communities. ‘Block Champayne Sewshalist Commissars vote’- LOL!!!
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Now you are really talking our language there with, ‘Block Champayne Sewshalist Commissars vote’!
If the Labour Party in Rotherham really tried to do their best for us citizens then this blog would not exist or get no readers.
Rothpol exists to ‘speak truth to power’!
Rotherham Labour has truly lost it’s way and to term the Town Hall the ‘Lubyanka’ fits the bill I feel.
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P.s I meant BME communities segregating themselves by saying ‘block etc’
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I just can’t wait for George Galloway and/or Yvonne Ridley to come and speak at some community venue or event here in Rotherham 🙂
If anyone knows, or gets wind, of such an event or an invite for George and Yvonne to come to Rotherham then please share it with all those RothPol active and empowered readers who have prayed for a Messiah to deliver us from the RMBC Laybah Corn Fed Grunters, Muppets and Clowns 🙂
Hang on Rotherham, help is at long last on its way 🙂
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After withdrawing my candidacy, I’m going to be helping Yvonne so will keep you updated. Also, if anyone else wants to volunteer, they can.
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I understand that Respect have been invited to one of the Rotherham Mosques, I think it may be the one that is planning an extension.
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Ward – Boston Castle RB2012/1433
Type: FUL Case Officer: Lisa Brooks
Decision level: Planning Board
Date Valid: 26.09.2012
Rotherham Mosque Trust
Mr Z Khan, Chapel Walk, Rotherham, S60 1EP
Demolition of existing building and erection of new community, cultural & faith facility with
mosque at Chapel Walk Mosque Chapel Walk Rotherham Town Centre
AGENT:- Zendium Design 5 Clover Road
Altrincham Timperley Warrington WA15 7NL
Application Documents >>> http://roam.rotherham.gov.uk/PlanNet/search.asp?authentication=210907SMWJ&id=RB2012/1433
This document was obtained in only a matter of minutes from RMBC planning archives, ref no – RB2012/1433.
If this is the same venue to which Peter Baker alludes, then I can only admire and congratulate the brothers and sisters of this masjid on their canny interest in politics in Rotherham.
If it’s true that Respect have been invited here then I am sure that the 15 RMBC Elected Members of the Planning Board will not let the fact that a political rival like George Galloway has visited Rotherham influence or sway their opinion from their impartial and lawful duty.
Of course, if a rejection of the planning application were to be made, then it may inevitably lead to a further significant loss of respect and trust in the impartiality of Rotherham Labour and RMBC.
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I do hope the planning application is granted, how odd it would look if it was rejected following the invite to Respect.
I am sure no one from any political party would wish to hinder the application or even stop
Respect from going to speak at the mosque.
I would hope that if it was rejected there would be an external investigation into the decision making process, nothing like good honest and open transparency when it comes to planning matters.
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Might be a good idea if Rotherham Politics readers maintained a watching brief on this application.
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I bet there’s been some frantic phone calls tonight from Labour high command trying to arm twist the mosque into reversing the decision to invite Respect to speak in their mosque.
Summat along the lines of: “If you want the 15 Labour members to look favourably on the planning application, you may wish to reconsider your invite to Respect”.
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Strong arm tactics to stop a legitimate political organisation meeting voters?
Surely no one could be that stupid to even think about applying pressure to stop Respect from engaging with the residents of Rotherham.
If they even tried I am sure someone from the host organisation or Respect would speak out and name and shame anyone trying to stop a healthy political debate.
This by-election is certainly going to get interesting!
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Just been reading the last few posts on here and TBH even I’m shocked and amazed at the secretive, and maybe illegal, nature of just how potentially corrupt is the Rovrum Laybah Corn Fed Grunters, Muppets and Clowns in the application of their legal duties.
What I’ve read above makes a complete and utter mockery of the statement which is at the bottom of every RMBC Councillors’ webpage – “Councillors will represent you regardless of political persuasion”.
Perhaps it’s time to add the rider – “unless your mosque or other town premises invites a legal political party of who Rovrum Laybah doesn’t like”.
Perhaps those deep within Town Hall Towers/Lubyanka don’t/can’t remember the T Dan Smith and Poulson affair of the 70s.
They should do because it tainted the infamous Doncaster Borough nearby and a high-profile Mexborough man and councillor was convicted and banged up on account of his neck-deep involvement in the dishonesty, fraud and corruption.
Let George Galloway and/or Yvonne Ridley come to our town, with an invite from whoever wants to hear their views and policies. Rovrum Laybah must be running more scared of Respect than I had previously imagined. They’ve obviously been in power now for so long without effective challenge and scrutiny that they have become arrogant in their assumption that the power to govern us is theirs by right and default.
Let Respect come to Rotherham.
Let them speak so our citizens can hear their views and policies.
Let RMBC Laybah Members on the Planning Committee dare to reject the planning application, cos that’s just the start of their troubles and woes.
The active and empowered citizens are now alert and aware of the deviousness of those RMBC Corn Fed Grunters, Muppets and Clowns who receive more dosh than Sheffield City Councillors and they need to be reminded of their legal obligation in respect of “Councillors will represent you regardless of political persuasion”.
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I don’t think Respect stand any chance of electoral success in Rotherham and courting the local Asian population is futile. IEven if every Asian voter in the constituency were to vote Respect it still wouldn’t give them victory. I personally wouldn’t want a Respect MP in our town nor would I vote for them but I regret that there is just too much Islamophobia within the town for Yvonne Ridley to be elected. Sad but true.
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